Nice to see some people liking the X Martins. You hear a lot of people slaming them. Im guessing a lot of that is some people will slam whatever isnt topline. Ive been shopping accustics also for a bit, and till now the best I found for my style, and price range has been the lower end Breedloves. I play fingler style, and so many other guitars sound a little flat when your not driving the strings hard with a pick. I havent tryed one of the Martins yet, but I will now.

I think I've seen those stratabond necks someplace. Maybe the last time I visited Woodwind Brasswind in South Bend Ind, before it was shuttered up ( ) by the cabal that owns: Guitar Center, Musicians Friend, Music 123 and WWBW.

I once had a artist friend that did street paintings,and he sold a lot of what I would call crap, for a lot of money, He said that most people do not know true art or quality, they judge by price alone, the more you pay or the more it cost the better it is!! and that is the truth!!

Its weird that Our fore fathers of Blues and music in general played on wash tubs and cigar boxes,or strings nailed to a board, and made music we cannot touch, not tryin to be insulting but if you have the touch, it don't matter what you touch, you will make music, I'am still working on the touch!!

Here's a couple different suggestions... Have you looked at the Washburn Parlors? I don't know a lot about them, but they look really nice and I played one in a shop and was impressed with it. They come in several "models" at a variety of price points.http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i- ... 4AodshYArQ

There is also the vintage Parlor option. I picked up this 1920's Supertone pretty cheap and I love it!

I have a washburn now a D43 limited edition, its a very well made guitar and the 12th -14th fret is very accessible clear of the body, the ones shown are a super looking guitar However your blocked from the 12th fret, which I roam around the 12th-15th frets.

Yes, I learn't this at a very early age when working in my parents cafe.One day a well known NZ guitarist came in and my Dad recognised him, grabbed my old Hofner guitar, gave it to him and said "give us a tune".This guitar that had medium strings and an action which made it difficult for me to hold down chords really sang under his fingers and he played it effortlessly. There's a lot of guitar snobbery about.

601blues wrote:I once had a artist friend that did street paintings,and he sold a lot of what I would call crap, for a lot of money, He said that most people do not know true art or quality, they judge by price alone, the more you pay or the more it cost the better it is!! and that is the truth!!

Its weird that Our fore fathers of Blues and music in general played on wash tubs and cigar boxes,or strings nailed to a board, and made music we cannot touch, not tryin to be insulting but if you have the touch, it don't matter what you touch, you will make music, I'am still working on the touch!!

While I can tell you what I like or don't care for, I can't really recommmend anything. To many personal preferences involved such as long or short scale, nut width, 12 or 14 frets, neck profile, body style, and so on. I can't tell you how many guitars I have played that somebody assured me that I would like and that I ended up walking away from thinking that boy must have been on puppy chow when he recommended that instrument. Only way I know to find a guitar and that is play as many as you can get your sweaty little hands on. I can promise you one will move to the front of the crowd.

Whatever your choice, let it be chosen by YOUR ears and hands ... if it truly is for Blues, think about what Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Mississippi Fred Mcdowell and others who gave us the Blues used. To sum it up ... they had junk (by today's standards)!

Yet today, and threw all of Blues history, we worship those tones that came out of dem fingaz Back in the early '90s, I used a Martin D28 for a few years but I never felt credible until I went back to my beater box - a 1971 Stella Harmony. The Martin was clean, chimey, silky, smooth and REALLY CRACKER!You really do feel like a squeaky clean little white boy when you try to broadcast the Blues to a real Blues audience with a high end acoustic 6 string.

In the bedroom or local watering hole or school auditorium - it'll be alright.

My opinion is to get yourself a nice playing pawn shop acoustic and lose the ego over 'brand name'. I'm not suggesting that's what's happening here on this post, I'm just offering a recommendation which was never offered to me way back when. The Martin (for my performances) was GREAT for every other genre of acoustic ... it just didn't cut it for the Blues.Just my 3 cents worth ... thanks for letting me get it off my couch

I feel ya!! I have the perfect Guitar in my studio, I recorded several tunes with it on the Heart and Soul CD. I bought it several years Back in the Mississippi Delta, at a Pawn shop, no markings different mismatched tuning keys, appears to be all mahongy body with a bolt on neck at trapeze tailpiece and sounds very sweet. needs some work bridge and head nut